Jehovah's Witnesses, you are taught to hate apostates; would it be wrong for apostates to hate you?

Question

Tracy D -- On the contrary:

JWs are to HATE people who do bad. --Watchtower pg. 420; 7/15/1961

If someone used to be a Jehovah's Witness, "We must hate in the truest sense, which is to regard with extreme ~ active aversion, to consider as loathsome, odious, filthy, to detest." --Watchtower, 10/1/52, p.599.

They are to be hated "in the sense of avoiding them as we would poison or a poisonous snake." -- Watchtower, 6/15/80, p.8.

"in order to hate what is bad a Christian must hate the person" WT 7/15/1961, p. 420

ZENOCK -- 1993
"Others claim to believe the Bible, but they reject Jehovah's organization and actively try to hinder its work. When they deliberately choose such badness after knowing what is right, when the bad becomes so ingrained that it is an inseparable part of their makeup, then a Christian must hate (in the Biblical sense of the word) those who have inseparably attached themselves to the badness. True Christians share Jehovah's feelings toward such apostates; they are not curious about apostate ideas. On the contrary, they "feel a loathing" toward those who have made themselves God's enemies, but they leave it to Jehovah to execute vengeance.--Job 13:16; Romans
12:19; 2 John 9, 10."

UPDATE: LINEDANCER

You want to know why? Because I'm warning everyone about your CULT. I'm getting the word out and exposing your denomination for what it really is. HALF TRUTHS?? Don't make me laugh. Your denomination is the KING of HALF TRUTHS. They will not tell you the WHOLE TRUTH about your history. They've even tried covering up and telling you half truths about your history. What's worse, you're not even allowed to research your history. What does that tell you?

ALEX -- The whole portion means the same thing. Just because you hate someone doesn't mean you're causing phycical harm. Hate is hate, whether you cause physical harm or not.

ALEX -- Psalm 97:10 doesn't mean to hate people. You hate what is bad not WHO is bad.

If you believe the Watchtower isn't hiding anything, you're in for a big surprise. They have covered up many of their mistakes, especially the doctrine of 1914.... if you even know the TRUTH behind that and not the HALF truth and eventually non-existent truth from the Watchtower.

UPDATE: ALEX

You want to talk about things taken out of context? OK. Let's check out a book you Jehovah's Witnesses hold so high as the proof there is no Trinity: "Should You Believe in the Trinity?" (SYBT)

Very bad misinterpretations and quotes taken so far out of context:

(SYBT): "Beyond the Grasp of Human Reason" pg. 4 says "This confusion is widespread. The Encyclopedia of Americana notes that the doctrine of the Trinity is considered to be "beyond the grasp of human reason."
--The Encyclopedia of American actually said: "It is held that although the doctrine is beyond the grasp of human reason, it is, like many of the formulations of physical science, not contrary to reason, and may be apprehended (though it may not be comprehended) by the human mind."

(SYBT) pg. 6 "The New Encyclopædia of Britannica observes: 'Neither the word Trinity nor the explicit doctrine appears in the New Testament."

--The New Encyclopædia of Britannica actually says: "Trinity, the Christian doctrine that asserts that God is one in substance but three in person, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Neither the word Trinity nor the explicit doctrine appears in the New Testament, nor did Jesus and his followers intend to contradict the Shema in the Old Testament: 'Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord' (Deut. 6:4). The earliest Christians however had to cope with the implications of the coming of Jesus Christ and of the presumed presence and power of God among them -- i.e., the Holy Spirit, whose coming was connected with the celebration of the Pentecost. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were associated in such New Testament passages as the Great Commission: [....Matt. 28:19]; and in the apostolic benediction: [II Cor. 13:14]. THUS, THE NEW TESTAMENT ESTABLISHED THE BASIS FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY."

(SYBT) pg. 7 tries indicating that the very originator of the term Trinity (Tertullian) did not support the doctrine. "He also said: 'There was a time when the Son was not...Before all things, God was alone.'"
The quote the Watchtower states was from Tertullian was actually not.
"There was a time when the Son was not..." was actually said by another scholar in his writings about Tertullian, containing no evidence of him denying the Trinity.
--Ante-Nicene Fathers. Volume 3. pg. 600 says:
"For instance in the Tract against Hermogenes, we find a passage in which it is expressly asserted that there was a time when the Son was not. ... The heretic affirmed that matter was eternal, and argued thus: 'God was always God, and always Lord; but the word Lord implies the existence of something over which He was Lord. Unless, therefore, we suppose we suppose the eternity of something distinct from God, it is not true that He was always 'Lord'.

Tertullian boldly answered, that God was not always Lord; and that in scripture we do not find Him called Lord until the work of creation was completed. In like manner, he contended that the titles of Judge and Father imply the existence of sin, and of a Son. As, therefore, there was a time when neither sin nor the Son existed, the titles of Judge and Father were not at that time applicable to God.'"

The other half of the quote that the Watchtower Society so erroneously pieced together is located on page 629 of the same Ante-Nicene Fathers publication. By reading further than the quote, it is transparent that the Word (Jesus) has had eternal existence alongside God.
"////For although God had not sent OUT his Word, He still had Him within Himself, both in company with and included within His very Reason, as He silently planned and arranged within Himself everything which He was afterwards about to utter through his Word."

Now tell me, whose taking things WAY out of context here?

UPDATE LINEDANCER:

That's the problem. They can research only through WT publications. They cover up stuff and tell you half truths in its publications. You can read all the books in your little library if you want; but that doesn't mean you'll be reading the full truth.

ACHTUNG -- I told you this on my other question as well:
That verse is a Psalm (song). It's not a teaching. That verse is just someone singing about their feeling of hate towards those who hate God. This doesn't teach someone should feel this way nor does it say anything about how God feels.

ACHTUNG -- I'm aware of those scriptures as well as several others. None of them say anyone should, must, or are supposed to hate a person. Nowhere in the Bible can you find where it teaches a person to hate another person.

Answer 1

I'm an apostate, raised a Jehovah's Witness, now Atheist.

All my former JW friends hate me, but they did when my parents were divorced and when they labled me "bad association" because of it.

I don't hate them, but I do realize that they're complete morons.

Answer 2

Do you have any quotes that are more current. Perhaps the JWs have changed there stance on this in the last 40 years.

I'm not a JW, I'm mormon. But from my understanding, their religion allows for corrections if they find what they believe to be errors. So it's disingenuous to use something from over 40 years ago to imply that they hate people.

Without having it clearly established that JWs hate apostates, your question becomes invalid.

Update: 14 years is a bit better. I would still like to see something after say 2003 though. And I still think it's a loaded question. Alas I'm not really qualified to answer the question. I don't believe anybody should hate anyone. But then, I'm not a Jehovah's Witness.

Answer 3

I would give apostates the same disgust as I do Satan. They know the truth of God yet they blaspheme and try and snatch people away from knowing the light of Truth along with themselves.
They are the seeds of Satan's organisation on earth.
Jehovah's Witnesses should hate what is bad and while apostates are in an active state they are truely bad in their actions but vengence belongs to Jehovah.

Of course Unsilenced Lamb is going to defend herself being she is an apostate herself.
I have no time or sympathy or an ear for apostates neither does God.

Answer 4

We aren't taught to hate people. Hate the sin, not the sinner, is a commonly known axiom, in many faiths.

Meanwhile being hateful towards others is rarely productive.


Clearly if various disenters truly believe they are correct/better than me, wouldn't a good way to show it be NOT being hateful??

I am often surprised at how quick some on here claiming to want to help me are to making up rediculous lies. I've even had ones on here make claims of knowing where I live and work. Somehow it seems they think making up untruths will make them seem more honest.

Answer 5

There is a large difference between a Biblical Apostate, and a Watchtower Apostate...I have seen a seeking Jehovah's Witness (mommyof1) ask some heartfelt, and telling questions here about her theological training, only to be labeled an apostate.

the WBTS is in great fear of their truth being revealed, and the theology is so shaky, that it is not that hard to do.


Question: Has Line Dancer ever actually answered any Question regarding the Witness theology mistakes, without being snotty? I can't find an example of it. Might have to look harder...Take a pill or get out of the Kitchen!

Answer 6

No, we don't hate and we are not taught to. "Hate" is such a strong word. Apostates can hate all they want. Jesus was an object of hatred and as his followers, we will be, too. That just gives us more reason to "rejoice." :)

With LOVE,
Jen

Edit: Well, naturally, we wouldn't want to associate with someone who has turned their back on Jehovah. Yes, we would want to avoid them!
The word hate in Merriam-Webster means:

1. to express or feel extreme enmity (however, Jesus told us to love our enemies.)
2. to find distasteful

There are many levels of hate. They would become our "enemies" if they are constituting themselves as enemies of God!

Answer 7

We are not taught to hate a person, we are taught to hate the things they do. If Jehovah comes down and tells us to hate an individual, that would be different. But currently no one can Judge.

Answer 8

When was I taught to hate apostates? I was never taught that. We are be careful of our association.

(1 Corinthians 15:33) . . .Do not be misled. Bad associations spoil useful habits.
Any apostate can hate me as much as they want. I don't really care. Jesus was an object of hatred and I know my brothers and sisters and all of Jehovah's Organization are but it doesn't really bother me because Satan is behind it all.

(Matthew 24:9) “Then people will deliver YOU up to tribulation and will kill YOU, and YOU will be objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name.

(Luke 21:17) 17 and YOU will be objects of hatred by all people because of my name. . .

(Mark 13:13) 13 and YOU will be objects of hatred by all people on account of my name. But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved.

(Matthew 10:21-22) . . .. 22 And YOU will be objects of hatred by all people on account of my name; but he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved.

Answer 9

You should've wrote not only what it seemed convenient to you. You skipped some important parts of what the Watchtower from October 1, 1952 said. This shows that you would try anything to attack Jehovah's Witnesses and that you are an apostate yourself.

"Haters of God and his people are to be hated, but this does not mean that we will take any opportunity of bringing physical hurt to them in a spirit of malice or spite, for both malice and spite belong to the Devil, whereas pure hatred does not. We must hate in the truest sense, which is to regard with extreme and active aversion, to consider as loathsome, odious, filthy, to detest. Surely any haters of God are not fit to live on his beautiful earth. The earth will be rid of the wicked and we shall not need to lift a finger to cause physical harm to come to them, for God will attend to that, but we must have a proper perspective of these enemies. His name signifies recompense to the enemies."


"O you lovers of Jehovah, hate what is bad." -- Psalm 97:10


"What's worse, you're not even allowed to research your history. " ???
No one is hiding anything.


"A cult is a religion that is said to be unorthodox or that emphasizes devotion according to prescribed ritual. Many cults follow a living human leader, and often their adherents live in groups apart from the rest of society." -- Reasoning

Jehovah's Witnesses follow Jesus Christ, not a human leader. They don't isolate themselves. They actually go from door to door to talk about God's purpose for earth and humankind, something that Jesus commanded his disciples to do.

"Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit." -- Matthew 28:19


http://www.watchtower.org/e/19970101/article_01.htm
http://www.watchtower.org/e/20061201/article_02.htm

Answer 10

Hate
What kind of hatred must servants of God cultivate?

In true loyalty to Jehovah, his servants hate what and whom he hates. (2Ch 19:2) “Do I not hate those who are intensely hating you, O Jehovah, and do I not feel a loathing for those revolting against you? With a complete hatred I do hate them. They have become to me real enemies.” (Ps 139:21, 22) But this hate does not seek to inflict injury on others and is not synonymous with spite or malice. Rather, it finds expression in its utter abhorrence of what is wicked, avoiding what is bad and those intensely hating Jehovah. (Ro 12:9, 17, 19) Christians rightly hate those who are confirmed enemies of God, such as the Devil and his demons, as well as men who have deliberately and knowingly taken their stand against Jehovah.

While Christians have no love for those who turn the undeserved kindness of God into an excuse for loose conduct, they do not hate persons who become involved in wrongdoing but who are worthy of being shown mercy. Instead of hating the repentant wrongdoer, they hate the wicked act, yes, “even the inner garment that has been stained by the flesh.”—Jude 4, 23.

APOSTASY
An apostasy among professed Christians was foretold by the apostle Paul at 2 Thessalonians 2:3. He specifically mentioned certain apostates, such as Hymenaeus, Alexander, and Philetus. (1Ti 1:19, 20; 2Ti 2:16-19) Among the varied causes of apostasy set forth in apostolic warnings were: lack of faith (Heb 3:12), lack of endurance in the face of persecution (Heb 10:32-39), abandonment of right moral standards (2Pe 2:15-22), the heeding of the “counterfeit words” of false teachers and “misleading inspired utterances” (2Pe 2:1-3; 1Ti 4:1-3; 2Ti 2:16-19; compare Pr 11:9), and trying “to be declared righteous by means of law” (Ga 5:2-4). While still making profession of faith in God’s Word, apostates may forsake his service by treating lightly the preaching and teaching work that he assigned to followers of Jesus Christ. (Lu 6:46; Mt 24:14; 28:19, 20) They may also claim to serve God but reject his representatives, his visible organization, and then turn to ‘beating’ their former associates to hinder their work. (Jude 8, 11; Nu 16:19-21; Mt 24:45-51) Apostates often seek to make others their followers. (Ac 20:30; 2Pe 2:1, 3) Such ones willfully abandoning the Christian congregation thereby become part of the “antichrist.” (1Jo 2:18, 19) As with the apostate Israelites, destruction is likewise foretold for apostates from the Christian congregation.—2Pe 2:1; Heb 6:4-8;

During the period of persecution that the early Christian congregation experienced at the hands of the Roman Empire, professed Christians were at times induced to deny their Christian discipleship, and those who did so were required to signify their apostasy by making an incense offering before some pagan god or by openly blaspheming the name of Christ.

It is evident that there is a distinction between a ‘falling’ due to weakness and the ‘falling away’ that constitutes apostasy. The latter implies a definite and willful withdrawal from the path of righteousness. (1Jo 3:4-8; 5:16, 17) Whatever its apparent basis, whether intellectual, moral, or spiritual, it constitutes a rebellion against God and a rejection of his Word of truth.—2Th 2:3, 4;

I hope this answers your question... Journey Well...

Answer 11

You think the JW's are bad ?
Well they have nothing on the Exclusive Brethren

http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/exclusive-thats-the-problem/2007/01/04/1167777215109.html

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10344607
Check the second link as to what happens if you leave the faith.